Dental radiographs are x-rays used by medical professionals to ascertain detailed images of a patient's mouth so as to better identify dental disease. These radiographs are taken utilizing x-ray units, which include an x-ray tube or cone adjacent to an x-ray sensing device, and which is parallel to the area of interest in the oral cavity. The x-ray is directed perpendicular to the area and to the sensing device. X-ray sensing devices typically include x-ray film, digital sensors, phosphor plates and other related technologies that would be known by a person of ordinary skill in the art. These sensing devices are in a flat and commonly rectangular or elongated configuration, and can be placed into the oral cavity.
The x-ray sensing devices may be placed in the oral cavity in different ways to view various perspectives, orientations, and locations. For instance, a periapical placement displays the anterior or posterior tooth or teeth; included in the image is the tip of the root. Alternatively, a bitewing placement displays the central area around which the top and bottom set of teeth make contact with one another, additionally showing the crown of the imaged tooth. These placements can then be subdivided into right and left as well as maxillary and mandibular. Additionally, sensors may be placed such that images are taken in a vertical or horizontal direction depending on the desired depth or width of the desired field of view.
Recently, advancements in dentistry have shifted the focus from using x-ray film to digital sensors due in part to a decrease in the amount of x-rays (i.e. radiation) these sensors require the patient to be exposed to, as well as their convenient compatibility with electronic devices such as computers. The emergence of digital sensor devices has prompted creation of a respective field known as digital dental radiography.
Traditional holding mechanisms for x-ray film could be designed to clamp or pinch the thin x-ray film to keep it in place. However, this method cannot be utilized in digital sensors, which are thicker due to their imbedded technology. Moreover, digital sensors are more fragile and expensive and therefore must be handled very carefully. Makers of sensor holders adjusted for this change in a number of different ways. Many methods utilize a large biteplate as well as a ring and rod mechanism, wherein the rod is inserted perpendicular to the sensor holder and a ring slides through the holder, whereby the x-ray cone is properly aligned. Let biteplate be construed as part of a phosphor plate, film or digital x-ray sensor holder or sensor wherein a patient bites down on it in order to properly orient the plate, film, or sensor. While this design may be utilized when taking x-rays for routine examination, it is cumbersome to use during root canal procedures or other procedures involving obstructions within or surrounding the oral cavity.
In such cases, a device that employs a typical biteplate is not useful in such circumstances because the patient is not able to bite down on the biteplate due to the extreme pain in the tooth or due to the obstructions necessitated by many procedures, some of which include dental clamps, rubber dams, or files. This problem is further compounded by the ongoing concern that the operating field may become contaminated.
A rubber dam comprises a flexible sheet of latex or silicone and is a mandatory component of many procedures including root canals. The rubber dam creates a sterile environment within the tooth being treated by preventing bacteria and other contaminants from entering the patient's tooth from within the oral cavity. It also protects the oral cavity and the patient's airway by preventing medicaments as well as other materials used during the procedure from entering. A rubber dam is secured in a proper position around the tooth by placing it over a clamp and around the tooth. During root canal procedures, it is necessary to manipulate the rubber dam to take multiple radiographs to acquire appropriate measurements of the width and depth of the infected or aggravated areas which need cleaning and reshaping. To accomplish this, the sensor or film device has to be placed between the oral cavity and the underside of the rubber dam adjacent to the tooth being treated. When traditional sensor holders are utilized to achieve this, the rubber dam and adjacent parts need to be removed. Removal of the rubber dam allows for the introduction of foreign material, for instance bacteria, to enter the patient's tooth, potentially causing leakage and contamination of the field. In addition, it is quite difficult to fit the entire sensor holder on the underside of the rubber dam.
The biteplate portion of a typical sensor holder compounds the difficulties of properly placing the holder in the correct orientation and location because the clamp as well as the files rest in the occlusal field, also referred to as the biting surface of the tooth, which prevents the patient from biting down. Furthermore, the biteplate itself is a hindrance to acquiring useful radiographs because it prevents the patient from pushing the sensor into the vestibule to obtain a deep root image. Once the holder is finally placed under the dam, the alignment ring portion still needs to be slid into place for use by the x-ray cone. This has the adverse effect of agitating patients with the number and size of items in their mouth. Subjects commonly gag, have tongue thrusts, and misalign the imaging system, or compromise the operating field.
To prevent the issues discussed above, there is a need in the art for a sensor holding apparatus that can operate without a biteplate and which allows for compact, convenient sensor placement in the oral cavity with a variety of sensor shapes and dimensions so as to mitigate the problems associated with taking radiographs during dental surgeries. It is to these ends that the present invention has been developed.